A conspicuous absence from the Agreement signed last week Tuesday, August 20, 2024 between the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and Ministry of Education is the check off system.
The check off system is the deducting of union dues from the salary of each member by the employer which is then remitted to the Union.
During the teachers strike the government first threatened it would have stopped the deduction from the teachers’ salary. Shortly after, the Ministry of Education moved to enact the decision.
The GTU represented by attorney-at- law, Darren Wade, challenged the government’s act in the High Court.
Justice Sandil Kissoon, who presided over the case, on 19th April 2024 ruled the government’s position unlawful and ordered the check-off system remain in place. The Ministry of Education did not abide by the Court’s ruling.
Presently the GTU does not receive union dues through deduction and remittance by the ministry.
During the strike when the Government threatened to stop the deduction, the teachers countered that they will pay their dues directly to the GTU.
This publication was adviced, well-meaning though the teachers’ decision is, it is not a feasible and sustainable exercise, and hence unions rely on dues payment through the check-off system.
The failure of the GTU’s leadership, who signed the August 20, 2024 Agreement that did not include the Court’s ruling on the check-off system is serious. Unless the act may have been a deliberate collusion with the employer to destroy the Union.
Some teachers who spoke with this publication on condition of anonymity to speak freely, expressed the view that they were “sold out” by the leaders who signed the agreement.
The sustenance of a union is through dues. The union gets its strength through its membership. The non-payment of dues will deny the Union the resources to deliver for its members such as education and training.
This publication was also advised the non-payment of the dues can result in many members becoming non-financial. This means these members will not be entitled to representation.
The current agreement, while it could be seen as celebrating the constitutional right to collective bargaining for teachers, also undermines the Union’s capacity to deliver and represent its members in the future.
